From NAPABA Coffee House Episode 1: Lola Lin, Chief Legal Officer of Howmet Aerospace · · HLSCLP
“I'm a Texas girl first and foremost, raised in Houston by Taiwanese immigrant parents — my father is an engineer and was in the oil business for his whole career. For undergrad I went to the University of Texas at Austin and then I went to law school at the University of Houston.”
On , Lola Lin, Executive Vice President, Secretary, Chief Legal & Compliance Officer at Howmet Aerospace Inc, spoke about personal background during NAPABA Coffee House Episode 1: Lola Lin, Chief Legal Officer of Howmet Aerospace on HLSCLP.
Lola Lin, Executive Vice President, Secretary, and Chief Legal & Compliance Officer at Howmet Aerospace, discussed her career and leadership philosophy in a February 2022 episode of the NAPABA Coffee House podcast. Lin described herself as a "Texas girl" raised in Houston by Taiwanese immigrant parents, and noted that she joined Howmet in June 2021, relocating to Pittsburgh for the role. She recounted undergoing a multi-hour psychiatric assessment as part of the hiring process, receiving a 16-page report, and stated that traits others might view as negative could be reasons she was hired, adding that "there's no trait that doesn't have both a positive and a negative aspect." Lin said she evaluates candidates using a "heart hire" approach, seeking individuals with energy and a willingness to embrace change. She argued that lawyers are well-positioned to take informed risks, saying, "instead of hindering risk we should use that expertise to advocate for and take informed risks." Lin described herself as a "business leader" rather than a legal person when entering business meetings, and acknowledged that being general counsel "can be a lonely endeavor." She also expressed a personal goal of traveling to 100 countries, naming Saudi Arabia's Neom project and the island of Socotra off Yemen as top destinations.